The folks at the USA Network Television made a couple of wise decisions in bringing Andy Breckman’s MONK to life. The first was the casting of Tony Shalhoub, who brings charm and humor to the lead character of Adrian Monk, the detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder. And the second was recruiting the talented and resourceful Lee Goldberg to write the tie-in novels based on the series.
MR. MONK IS MISERABLE is the seventh such novel and, as the title suggests, takes Monk to Paris. But Goldberg is too clever to simply tell another Eiffel Tower mystery, and presents scenes of Paris little-known to most readers in this witty and altogether enjoyable series addition.
The previous MONK novel left him and his assistant, Natalie Teeger, in Germany as he pursued his missing psychotherapist and, of course, solved some murders while in the neighborhood. As this new one begins, Natalie insists that she and Monk fly to France for a much-needed vacation before returning to the security of his San Francisco home. Monk reluctantly agrees, and manages to witness and instantly resolve a murder on the flight to Paris.
Once landed and settled into their Monk-approved hotel, Natalie offers to show him the cultural sights of the City of Lights — one filled with bittersweet memories of her late husband, Mitch. But she is stunned when Monk announces that he wants to visit the sewers of Paris. It’s the last thing on earth someone who panics at the least speck of dirt would want to see. But to him, the sewers are a historic testament to sanitation and cleanliness. So, protected by a bright yellow hazmat suit, hood and goggles, Monk descends into the darkness below.
And he has such a pleasant time that Natalie presses her luck and suggests another underground locale: the catacombs. At first, the eerie collection of skulls and bones repulses Monk. The bones are all disorganized! But then, he notices one skull that is nowhere near as old as the rest. Soon, Natalie’s hope for a vacation are shattered as Monk is enlisted by the Paris police to investigate another murder. Oddly enough, the victim has a San Francisco connection, which brings series regulars Capt. Stottlemeyer and Lt. Disher to Paris to again assist in the investigation.
Goldberg realizes the obligations he must fulfill in writing tie-ins, and successfully recreates the rhythms and nuances of the television characters on the printed page. But he never cheats his readers. The scenes are well-researched, and the plot is as inventive and vivid as any original story. Additionally, the author adds just enough interior emotion to give the story depth without sacrificing the energetic pace.
His biggest challenge, as always, is Monk himself. For those with only scant knowledge of the TV series or the characteristics of OCD, Monk might seem like an insufferable asshole. But while staying true to these traits, Goldberg manages to bring our sympathies to Monk, first with the humorous observation of his ever- patient assistant and finally when we see Monk fully involved and secure in what he does best: solving murders.
Goldberg also manages to have some fun with a few traditional mystery techniques. Monk’s sharp-eyed observations and detached explanations are positively Holmesian. And one scene recreates a classic “locked room” murder right out of John Dickson Carr.
But like most tie-ins, the bottom-line mission is to entertain. And Goldberg expertly succeeds here as well. Series fans will find much to enjoy and celebrate. And for everyone else there is a neat, surprisingly literate and well-written mystery starring a most unlikely crime solver. —Alan Cranis
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• DIAGNOSIS MURDER: THE PAST TENSE by Lee Goldberg
• MR. MONK AND THE BLUE FLU by Lee Goldberg
• MR. MONK AND THE TWO ASSISTANTS by Lee Goldberg
• MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE by Lee Goldberg
• MR. MONK IN OUTER SPACE by Lee Goldberg
Related posts:
- Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu
- Mr. Monk in Outer Space
- Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse
- WHAT ED READ >> 8.6.07
- Scribe Awards to honor tie-ins
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I used to watch every episode of Monk, until the joke started getting old. I’ll still watch it on occasion, but it can’t compare to Psych. Anyway, someone I know had one of these novelizations, so I tried one. Not my thing. And the part that made no sense was that in the show, Natalie calls Monk “Mr. Monk.” In the books, she, the narrator, calls him just “Monk.” It throws the whole thing off. It doesn’t sound right. And the guy who writes the novels has written for the show. But anyway…
Actually, that’s not accurate. Natalie calls him Mr. Monk in the books…and so does her daughter Julie.
Natalie refers to him as “Mr. Monk” when she speaks to him or when she speaks about him to others. The only time she doesn’t refer to him so formally is in the prose, which you can consider her diary. The same goes for “Captain Stottlemeyer,” who she refers to as “Captain” when speaking to him but as Stottlemeyer or the Captain in prose
Lee
Yep, that’s what I meant. As the narrator, she calls him Monk. She doesn’t actually say it when speaking.
I LOVE PSYCH!!! I love Psych, Monk, and the Burn Notice!!! WOOT!!! they’re all amazing.
Alan,
Thank you so much for the great review. I can’t tell you how truly flattered I am to be favorably compared to John Dickson Carr.
Lee
I like the Monk books and the TV series. I found Goldberg’s Diagnosis: Murder adaptations to be similarly excellent.
One slightly off topic observation: When reading Burn Notice: The Fix, right after reading an entry in the Monk series, Michael Westen sounds an awful lot like Natalie Teeger in the interior prose, which takes one right out of the book.
Maybe the problem is familial… my brother Tod writes the BURN NOTICE books!
Lee
Lee,
Thank you for your response to my review, and for participating in these comments. Looking forward to your next book.